The Journey
Day One
As we left Newark, the clouds began to fill the sky. This was due to the tailend storms of Hurricane Andrew, which recently hit the East Coast and caused much damage to the eastern seaboard. I welcomed the rain, because my car had been sitting on the docks for about five days and needed a good wash. We headed west from New Jersey into Pennsylvania. I was amazed to see that 80% of the vehicles on Highway 80 were 18-wheelers. In California, the usual percentage is approximately 60% trucks and 140% cars.
I had learned a different driving style when I owned my first 2cv, and the experience came in very handy on this leg of the trip. With my first 2cv, I learned patience and the need to keep the revs at an optimum and use the draft of a larger vehicle to maintain my speed. This was only partially appropriate since my new 2cv has 30 HP versus 18 HP in my old one, and I was able to pass the big trucks on the upgrade and maintain normal highway speed. Even with a 1-speed wiper, I was able to run with the pack.
As we headed west, we had to decide where to stay for the first night of our journey. Rick perused the map and found the town of Du Boise, Pennsylvania. What better place to stop than a town with a French name! Du Boise was only 300 miles west of Newark, but with the rain, it was necessary to stop, eat a fine meal, and get a good night’s rest. Our motel was next to a liquor store that had a large lighted sign that pronounced, “We open at 7 AM.”
As you can see, being tired and hungry, the need for a fine meal was of the utmost importance. We arrived at Du Boise. After checking in at our motel, we looked for the closest restaurant that would meet our needs that was within walking distance. None were that close, so we drove to the only restaurant that was open in Du Boise, a Wendy’s. I was looking for a square meal, not a square hamburger. I ate it with relish. It would have to do so we headed back to the motel for a good night’s rest. Came the dawn, or at least 7 AM, when the sky was filled with flashing lights as the liquor store was open for the day. This was a Wednesday morning, and the business was brisk.
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